History of the harpsichord
Like the later harpsichord, it had metal strings which were held at controlled tension with tuning pins and transmitted their vibrations through a bridge to a soundboard, rendering them audible.
It is possible that the standard harpsichord mechanism, with jacks holding plectra mounted on retractable tongues, may only gradually have won out over alternatives.
Towards the end of the historical period larger and more elaborate Italian instruments were built, notably by Bartolomeo Cristofori (who later invented the piano).
A major innovation in harpsichord construction took place in Flanders some time around 1580 with the work of Hans Ruckers and his descendants, including Ioannes Couchet.
[7] Fine instruments continued to be made by Flemish builders in the 18th century, generally along French lines, most notably by the Dulcken family.
[8] The French harpsichord reached its apogee in the 18th century, notably with the work of the Blanchet family and their successor Pascal Taskin.
Harpsichord building in England only achieved great distinction in the 18th century with the work of two immigrant makers, Jacob Kirckman (from Alsace) and Burkat Shudi (from Switzerland).
Sheridan Germann writes of them, "English harpsichords must be acknowledged as great furniture, sumptuous in textures of wood and brass and fine joinery, and built to last forever.
"[12] The sound of the Kirkman and Shudi instruments is described by the authors of Grove Dictionary as "enormously rich and powerful"; "whereas that of a French harpsichord may be compared to the sound of a woodwind ensemble, the tone of these developed English instruments, with their brilliant trebles and imposing basses, may be compared to that of a brass band.
The sound of these instruments sometimes tends to call attention to itself rather than merely serving as a vehicle for projecting the music, a quality that may in abstract terms be viewed as a defect despite its splendour.
"[13] A similar opinion was held by Frank Hubbard, who wrote: "For sheer magnificence of tone no other instrument ever matched them ...
This represents the northern school of German harpsichord building as featured by builders such as Hieronymus Hass and Christian Zell.
The piano quickly evolved away from its harpsichord-like origins, and the accumulated traditional knowledge of harpsichord builders gradually dissipated.
However, by the late 19th century, despite revival efforts, its use even in the recitative style began to disappear and was rarely used in new basso continuo pieces due to increasing orchestra size.
Such instruments, made for instance by the Pleyel firm of Paris, were heavily influenced by the modern grand piano, notably in using heavy metal frames, far sturdier than would be needed to support the tension of harpsichord strings.
These builders based their construction on painstaking research: they took apart and inspected many old instruments and consulted the available written material on harpsichords from the historical period.
Plexiglas or metal upper and lower guides were abandoned for the historical wooden guides, heavy jack end pins were abandoned, piano-style keyboards were replaced by the lighter historical type,[18] and steel piano-wire strings were replaced by iron or brass.
[19] Since the late 1950s, harpsichords have often been constructed by amateurs from kits, a system pioneered by the American builder Wolfgang Zuckermann.
